Grief experience of bereaved Malay/Muslim youths in Singapore: the spiritual dimension

Abstract

This article is based on a qualitative study conducted in Singapore which examined different coping mechanisms engaged by Malay/Muslim bereaved youths following parental death. The research applied the revised Transactional Model of Stress and Coping as well as the Adolescent Coping Scale as a theoretical framework for analysing findings. Of the three types of coping, namely spiritual‐focused, problem‐focused, and emotion‐focused, the first was the most significant. Amongst others, a key finding was that spiritual growth was perceived by the youths to be a means of getting closer to God and a way to maintain relationships with their deceased parents. Implications for research and practice conclude the article.

Keywords:

• grief
• youth
• spirituality
• Muslim
• coping
• death

Notes

1. The italicised words are the original terms used by the respondents. They are cultural terms spoken in the Malay language, one of the official languages in Singapore. In this article, the original terms are cited alongside with their meaning in English.